William Nicholson - [Wind on Fire 02] by Slaves of the Mastery (epub)

Author:Slaves of the Mastery (epub)
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781780312118

13

The Lost Testament

Hanno Hath was at work in the depository the next day, when Professor Fortz came for him.

‘You!’ he boomed. ‘Time to find out how good you are at deciphering old Manth script.’

Hanno followed the professor on foot towards the lake. The slaves they passed were subdued, and avoided meeting their eyes, as if they had done something shameful. Because the ones who had died in the night were innocent, every one of the Manth people who remained unharmed felt guilty.

Professor Fortz noticed the familiar signs.

‘I gather there was a burning last night,’ he said. ‘I hardly need say that it shocks me. All acts of barbarity shock me. On the other hand, the Great Library, which is the glory of our academy, is entirely filled with priceless manuscripts seized in acts of war. So what is one to think?’

He seemed not to require an answer. He was much shorter than Hanno, and wore a very wide-brimmed hat, so that all Hanno saw of him was a black circle bouncing along by his side, like a large beetle.

‘It’s the kind of dilemma that used to trouble me,’ the professor went on. ‘But I’ve found that moral scruples fade over time. The treasures, however, remain. If anything, they grow ever more precious. Our collection of old Manth texts is second to none. The pity is no one can read a word of them.’

Hanno realised he was to be taken into the High Domain. He followed the little professor onto the long causeway, wondering very much what he would find within the towering walls ahead. Professor Fortz was still talking: and suddenly his words caught and held Hanno’s attention.

‘It was the Master himself who wanted the old Manth collection,’ he was saying. ‘He has great respect for one of your people, a tribal elder or prophet known as Ira Manth.’

‘The Master has heard of Ira Manth?’

‘Yes, certainly. But even the Master can’t read the old texts.’

Hanno’s mind began to spin. How would the Master have come to know of the first prophet of the Manth people? Why would he care? Preoccupied with these thoughts, Hanno followed the little professor through a door in the gate, and down a long cloister-like passage; and so found he had arrived at the Great Library without taking in anything of the High Domain.

‘This,’ said Professor Fortz, ‘is our rare documents archive. We keep all the manuscripts in excellent condition, which is yet another benefit of war. Many of them were mouldering and unread in their original homes. And here’s the old Manth section. Take a seat.’

Hanno Hath took a seat at the wide table, and stared at the carefully-wrapped bundles being opened before him. As he looked, he felt his heart begin to hammer with excitement. Never in all his life had he dared to hope he would find such treasure.

‘There! Make any sense to you?’ The professor tossed manuscript after manuscript onto the table. ‘There’s another!’

‘This is extraordinary,’ marvelled Hanno. ‘You have some of my people’s most precious documents here.

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